Chief Mission and Research Officer Heart & Stroke Foundation

Job Description

Chief Mission and Research Officer

A strategic and dynamic leader, a champion and advocate, who will inspire and lead a passionate and committed Heart & Stroke team across Canada in developing and implementing a bold and exciting, new strategic Mission and Research Plan!

Heart & Stroke is Canada’s most widely recognized and trusted authority on cardiovascular health. Over the last 60 years, it has invested more than $1.45 billion in heart and stroke research, making it the largest contributor to such activities in Canada after the federal government. In that time, the death rate from heart disease and stroke has declined by more than 75 per cent. The Foundation’s health promotion and advocacy programs across the country are saving lives every day, and its employees, volunteers, donors and world-class researchers are working collaboratively with a shared vision of “healthy lives free of heart disease and stroke. Together, we will make it happen.”

Mission and Research drive strategy and success for Heart & Stroke, and, as the organization’s long-term and highly respected Chief Mission & Research Officer prepares to retire, Heart & Stroke is seeking a new Chief Mission and Research Officer to assume this critical leadership role as a member of the organization’s national executive team, working with Mission and Research teams across Canada.

As the new Mission and Research leader, you will provide strategic leadership, management and execution of the national Mission and Research strategy throughout Canada, which will see you working closely with the national Mission and Research team and the CEO, and collaborating with the provincial Mission and Research teams – including Government Relations, Research and Health Promotion professionals. Heart & Stroke will count on you to successfully champion, advocate and engage communities and partner with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular Researchers and Health Care providers and governments to advance Heart & Stroke’s mission of funding life-saving research and helping Canadians live healthier lives.

A dynamic, visible, influential leader and a key ambassador for Heart & Stroke, you will inspire staff and rally them around the organization’s ambitious future direction, while developing, growing and broadening relationships with key donors and stakeholders to promote and maximize funding opportunities. Strategic planning and management will be key responsibilities, focusing on the development and implementation of a national strategic Mission and Research Plan and priorities aligned with the overall strategic plan. You will also play a leadership role as part of the national executive team in providing strategic input, and in the effective implementation of plans across the organization, including the integration of Mission and Research, Fund Development, Community Engagement and Marketing/Communications plans.

Heart & Stroke seeks a strategic and engaging people leader with a passion for the cause, someone who can lead, inspire and engage a highly effective Mission and Research team, ensuring that high standards of delivery, competence and values are maintained and that team members are well supported in fulfilling their accountabilities, developing their skills and achieving their career potential.

As Chief Mission and Research Officer, you will have a master’s degree (PhD strongly preferred) in a Health Sciences or Political Science discipline, complemented by proven success as a strategic transformational leader with 8 to 10 years’ experience in a mission-driven health care organization. This is an exciting opportunity to leverage your agile leadership style and approach, comfort in leading in a matrix leadership model, and commitment to diversity and health equity. You either understand, or can quickly grasp, the scientific and research issues associated with heart disease and stroke, and are known for inspiring, connecting and engaging with researchers, and leading change with and through others.

You have a track record of success in advocacy, policy and program development by working with government officials, research partners, volunteers, and internal teams, and in engaging and inspiring audiences with varying levels of knowledge. Authentic, confident and politically savvy, you can build relationships with people at all levels of an organization (internally and externally), and rally a talented team around a shared vision and plan to deliver planned results. While not essential, fluency in both English and French would be advantageous in exercising this national mandate.

Candidates from diverse groups are encouraged to apply. We are committed to fostering an inclusive, barrier-free and accessible environment. If you have been contacted for an interview and require an accommodation due to disability to participate in the recruitment and selection process, please advise and we will work with you to meet your needs.

To apply to this key executive role, submit your resume, in confidence, specifying the job title, to Phelpsgroup, quoting PH179133, at HSFCMRO@phelpsgroup.ca